Combined timer and distributer.



L. STRAH L E. I COMBINED TIMER AND DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION EILED MAR. 4, 1914.

1,156,255. Patented 001.. 12, 1915.

' 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

A. L. STRAHLE.

COMBINED TiMER AND DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 1914.

1,156,255. Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR I1. STRAHLE, OF BENSON NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LEONIDAS P. BYARS, OF BENSON, NEBRASKA.

COMBINED TIMER Ann DISTRIBUTER.

Application filed March 4, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. STRAHLE,

a citizen of the United States, residing in Benson, in Douglas county, in the State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Timers and Distributers, and have described the same in the following specification, illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of-comw bined timers and distributers whichare com-- monly used with the internal combustion enginesv of automobiles and the like, and which individually comp-rise an induction coil, a timer connected with the primary circuit of that coil, and a distributer for directing the secondary current to the spark plugs severally.

It is the object of the invention, to give to the normally separated contacts of the timer a mutually rubbing movement while in contact; to move those contacts to a distance from each other through the action of the timer shaft whenever the normal direction of rotation of that shaft is reversed;

and in general to increase the efliciency, of

' combined timers and distributers of the specifiedclass. To accomplish this object I incorporate in my improved apparatus a pivoted slide of special construction, actuating one of the timer contacts and actuated conjointly by a spring and by a cam which is carried by the timer shaft.

In said drawings, illustrating the best' manner in which I have contemplated applying to a four-cycle engine the principles of my invention, Figure 1 is anaxial sec- 'tion of a combined distributer and spark timer, constructed in accordance with these principles and mounted in a bracket. Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the timer contacts as normally separated. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, mountedin operative position on the crank-case of the engine. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line4-4 of Fig. 1, and shows the contacts of the timer as separated widely by the reversal of the time shaft. Fig. 5 is a detail, being an end elevation of the pivoted slide, with a contact-carrying spring thereon. Fig. 6' is a detail, being an enlarged plan of the same slide and other parts of the timer. showing its contacts rubbing.

This illustrative and illustrated speci- Specification of Letters Patent.

ing, or contact box, 9.

supporting v Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

Serial No. 822,304.

men of my invention is shown mounted upon the crank-case 36 of an engine having the crankshaft 37 and four cylinders 38. The timer shaft 1 occupies an approximately vertical position in the bracket 2 on the crank-case, and is actuated from the cam shaft 3 by the inter-meshing beveled gears 4 and 5. This-timer shaft is journaled in the sleeve 6 which is seated in a rotarily adjustable manner in the boss 7 of this bracket. This sleeve has a broad horizontal flange 8, resting on the top of the boss 7 and forming the annular bottom plate of the closed cas- By means of the advance rod 39 and the lug 9, on the underside of this plate,.the latter is rotarily adjustable for the purpose of controlling the advance and retardation of the spark in the usual manner. Onthe fiat and smoothed area, or facet, 10, of this plate, is

- low head 11, a vertical longitudinal slot 12 perforating the head, a straight. shank 13 extending from one end of the head in the direction of the length of the slot, a horizontal arm 14 extending laterally from the other end of the head, and an engagement shoulder 15 formed in one. margin of the slide. It is attached to the plate 8 in sliding contact with the area 10 by the screwpointed pivot pin 16, which, projecting from that area, and through the slot 12, permits the slide to move thereon bothrotarily and endwise. The arm 14 of this slide has a straight horizontal conductive and elastic extension, or spring, 17, carrying on its free end the contact point 18, within reach of the fixed contact point 19, which is adjustably mounted upon the bottom plate 8 by means of the insulated plate 20. By the tension spring 21, which connects the lug 22 with this slide, the latter is constantly pulled' both slidingly lengthwise in a direction to bring the contacts 18 and 19 together and also rotarily toward or against the adjacent guiding lug 23.

To the timer shaft, and immediately above the plate '8, is keyed the ratchet-like snap cam 24, which is a tappet wheel having a plurality of vertical equidistant peripheral 11 which is next to the lug 23 and are kept lubricated by making successive contacts with the circular oil-carrying brush 26, which is formed of felt or other porous material and is rotarily mounted on the pivot pin 26 in position to be rubbed and rotated by those contacts. I i

The distributer comprises the insulated and radially positioned contact strip 27, which is mounted on the top of the timer shaft, contacting constantly with the central contact point 28, and successively with the four peripheral and equidistant contact points 29, all these points being arranged in customary correlative positions in the top of the box 9. 1

The cylindrical hood, or cap 30, formed of insulating material, and forming the top and the peripheral wall of the box 9, is fitted to the margin of the plate 8, and is secured thereon in the position shown, by means of the screws 35 in the screw-holes 31; while the contact point 28 and the several contact points 29 in the top of the box are connected into the secondary circuit of the induction c'oil by the several insulated cables 32 and 32 respectively. These cables are led in through the top of thebox and through the projecting and close-fitting nipples 33 thereof, and are severally wedged into these nipples respectively by the tapering points of the conductive screws 34:; these screws being provided with or comprising the contact points last mentioned. By this construction all the contact points are inclosed in the box; and the cables, being continuously insulated from end to end, are efiiciently protected from dirt and dampness.

The electrical connections of the apparatus, which are not fully indicated in the drawings, are to be understood tobe such as to bring the contacts 18 and 19 into the primary circuit of the induction coil, and the contacts 28 and 29 into the secondary circuit, for the purpose of opening and closing those circuits simultaneously in the usual manner during the normal running of the engine.

In the operation of tllfllIlVGIltlOll, the slide 11, whenever engaged by any one of the facets of the cam 24; rotating in its normal direction, is thereby-turned rotarily on its pivot pin 16 from the position shown in Fig. 2 and from contact with the lug 23, through the position shown in full lines in Fig. 6 to that shown in broken lines. By this pivotal movement of the slide, and by the accompanying movement of its elastic arm extension 17, the contact points 18 and 19 are first brought into abutting contact with each other, and then rubbed contactingly together, as indicated in the figure last mentioned. Then, as the cam continues its rotation, and the same cam facet ceases gether in a reverse direction, and are then separated to the positions shown in that figure. But whenever the slide is engaged by the cam rotating in the reverse direction, it

is thereby pushed endwise by the shoulder andv 1.5, in sliding contact with the lug 23, against the resistance of the spring 21, to theposition shown in Fig. 4. By this sliding movement it separates the primary contacts to such a distance as to preclude the passage of current between them, and thereby prevents the engine from running backward.

I claim as my invention- 1. A combined timer and distributer of the specified class, comprising a pair of contacts in the primary circuit, contacts in the secondary circuit, and means operated by the timer shaft for rubbing said pair of points back and forth against each other, and for producing successive contacts in the secondary circuit.

2. A combined timer and distributer of the specified class, comprising a pivoted slide carrying one of the contact points of the primary circuit, a rotating timer cam actuating the slide, and a lubricating brush contacting with the cam.

3. A combined timer and distributer of the specified class, comprising a timer shaft, a distributer located in the secondary circuit of. the inductioncoil and operated by the timer shaft, a pair of contact points for opening and closing the primary circuit, a pivoted slide, movable both longitudinally and rotarily, a spring arm outstretched from the slide, a pair of contact points in the primary circuit, one of these points being stationary and the other being carried by the arm, a spring actuating the slide longitudinally to bring the points into juxtaposition without contact, and a cam keyed on the timer shaft, and intermittently turning the slide pivotally in a direction to rub the contact points together.

1. A combined timer and distributer of the specified class, comprising a timer shaft, a cam thereon, a distributer connected with the secondary circuit and operated by the timer shaft, a pivoted slide movable both longitudinally and pivotally by the cam, and a pair of contact points in the primary circuit, which are separated and approximated by the longitudinal movements of the slide and are rubbed together by its pivotal movements.

5. A combined timer and distributer of the specified class, comprising a timer shaft,

a distributer operated thereby in the secondary circuit, a cam on the shaft, a slide operated both pivotally and longitudinally by the cam, a spring arm projecting laterally from the slide, and a pair of contact points in the primary circuit, one of these points being stationary and the other being carried by the free end of the arm; whereby the longitudinal movements of the slide separate and approximate the contact points, and the pivotal movement of the same rubs the points together.

6. A combined timer and distributer of the specified class, comprising a pivot/ed slide carrying one of the contact points of the primary circuit, a rotating timer cam actuating the slide, and a lubricating rotatable brush contacting with the cam.

7. In a combined timer and distributer of the specified class, a contact box comprising an annular base for the accommodation of the timer shaft, and a cylindrical cap of insulating material thereon, having a plurality of upwardly projecting hollow nipples each of which is imperviously closed by an occupying insulated cable in the secondary circuit, and imperviously stopped at the bottom by a conductive screw having a tapering point, and extending from a contact point of the secondary circuit within the box as a wedge into the end of the occupying cable.

8. A combined timer and distributer of the specined class, comprising a pair of contact points in the primary circuit, contact points in the secondary circuit, means operated b the timer shaftfor producing contacts in the secondary circuit, and similarly operated means for rubbing the contact points in the primary circuit together reciprocatingly.

In testimony whereof I subscribe this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR L. STRAHLE. Witnesses:

WILLARD EDDY, I. S. LEAVITT. 

